bentley



(No Model.)

E. M. BENTLEY.

ELB'UTRIG RAILWAY PL0W.

Patented Mar. 26.1889

INVEZNT DR WITNES 555' I N. PETERS. Pmvum n har w lhmgim D u UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ED\VARD M. BENTLEY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,038, dated March 26, 1889. Application filed December 5, 1888. Serial No. 292,696. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway Plows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to current-collectors for electric railways and to the means for attaching the same to the vehicle.

In certain patents already granted to me as, for instance, N 0. 374,236, December 6, 1887there is shown a plow supported by and movable upon a transverse guide carried by the vehicle. This plow, however, carries the contact-shoes which are to engage with both the positive and negative conductors.

My present invention embraces the same transverse guide and sliding collector, but I gain a greater range and flexibility of movement for the contact-shoes by providing, in lieu of the single plow in my patent above re ferred to, two plows, each having an inclependent lateral sliding movement relatively to the vehicle. Each of these plows consists of the usual guard and insulating panel, and carries a single conducting-strip terminating in a contact-shoe for engagement with one of the supply-conductors, and both plows are herein shown connected to a single support or frame, which is itself capable of moving laterally.

It will be seen that by this invention the contact-plows are allowed two distinct movements. One is shared by the collector as a whole and permits the plow to follow the conduit, where for any reason the conduit deviates from parallelism with the axis of the track, and the second is a movement which each plow has independent of the oth er, whereby the contact will be readily preserved on curves, and wherever there are minor irregularities in the alignment of the structure. This latter movement is only of limited extent, and fulfills the same function as the dilferent jointed connections for the plow which have been previously devised.

The improvements herein described may be used in constructing collectors adapted for use either in the conduit, surface, or overhead systems. My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a front view of the transverse guide and collector, adapted for use in a conduit system. Fig. II is a section of the same, taken on line 00 y, Fig. I. Fig. III is a plan view showing the positions taken by the two plows when rounding a curve.

A represents a transverse guide supported in any suitable manner upon a vehicle. This guide carries the current-collector and allows it to move freely therein. The collector consists of a common support or frame engaging with said guide and two plows or contact devices which are connected to said frame, and each of which has a limited lateral movement of its own independent both of the movement of the supporting-frame and of the other plow. The frame is provided with a neck, E, engaging the guide A, and two guideways are formed in its under side.

C C are the two plows, each consisting of a guard or frame, preferably of metal, having downwardlyprojecting legs, between which is placed an insulating-panel inclosin g a single supply-conductor.

a is an electrical connection extending from the upper end of each conductor through the plow-frame.

D D are the traveling heads provided at the upper ends of the plows, respectively, which engage with the guideways in the supporting-frame, and these guideways are som ewhat longer than the heads, as shown in Fig. I in dotted lines, thereby permitting the desired amount of lateral movement, while at the ends of the guideways are stops H H, against which the heads D D strike when the plows reach the limit of their independent movement. By providing an independent plow for each conductor the parts are more readily interchangeable. \Vhen one conductor or insulating panel becomes worn or unfit for use, a new corresponding part can be readily put in place without disturbing the connection for the second supply-conductor. It also permits of the plows being made narrower than in previous constructions, in which both conductors have been carried in a single frame. This is an important feature in my invention, because there are no swivelingconnections .in this construction, and it is only by the use of narrow plows that the sliding bearings can be used without causing the plows to bind when passing sharp curves on the line. The plows stand normally one directly behind the other; but on curves they slide by each other, assuming the positions shown in llig. Ill, and pass the curve without wrenching or binding. From each connection (.1 a flexible or other yieldii'ig conductor F 01:1, permitting the various movements of the plow, extends to the car, so that none of the sliding guides Forms part of the circuit, thereby lessening the chance of leakage or breakage of the circuit from an imperfect contact. The lower end oi each conductingsl rip is broad cued or enlarged, as shown at Z), and to the bearing thus formed the contactshoe is pivoted or otherwise connected.

The upper ends oi' the plow-frames at each side oi the heads l) l) abut against the lower surfaces of the guide and form bearings which iahe the linigitiulinal. strains upon the plows, thereby relitw'ing the heads and de creasing the liability oi? their being broken oil.

The Sllp l )l.y-(.'Oll(lllCl()l'S may be of any desired construction and are incloscd in a suit able slotted conduit. They are intended in this application to be of opposite polarity, though it is evident that the same construction oi plow could be used where a single conductor or two conductors of the same polarity are employed.

1 claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conduit and supply-conductors therein, with two ilulependent plows for making contact with the said comluctors, respectively, and independent sliding bearings for said plows, allowing each plow freedom of lateral. movement independent of the other.

3. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conduit and simply-conductors of opposite polarity therein, with two plows, each carrying a contact-sln-t'ace for engagement with one of said supply-conductors, and independent sliding bearil'igs for each plow, whereby each is independent in its movement of the other.

3. In an electric railway, the combination of a conduit and supply-conductors of opposite polarity therein, with two contact devices engaging with the said conductors, respectively, and extending down into the conduit, and sliding bearings outside the conduit, allowing each contact device a movement independent of the other.

4:. In an electric railway, the combination of a conduit and supply-conductors of opposite polarity therein, with two contact devices engagingthelsaidconductors,respectively,and extending down into the conduit, a support therefor outside of the conduit, having transverse guides andsliding connections between the guides and the contact devices, allowing each contact. device an im'lepemlent lateral movement.

5. In an electric railway, the combination of a conduit and supply-conductors o1 opposite polarity therein, with a vehicle, two insulated contact devices for engagement with the conductors, lOS] )(.U[lV0ly, and sliding bearings for the same upon the vehicle, allowing each contact device a movement independent of the other.

(3. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conduit and. srqiply-conductors of opposite polarity therein, with a veh iele, transverse guides upon the vehicle, and a contact device for engagement with each of said conductors independently movable along said guides.

7. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conduit, conductors of opposite polarity therein, a contact device for engagement with each ctmduetor, sliding bearings therefor, allowing each contact device a movementindependent of the other, and yielding electrical conductors extending directly from said eontact devices and leadin to the vehicle.

8. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conduit, conductors of opposite polarity therein, and a plow ifmengagement with each such conductor, with a vehicle, transverse guides upon the vehicle, along which the plows have independent movement, and yield ing electrical conductors extending directly from said plows and leading to the vehicle.

9. The combination, in an electric railway, of a conduit, a supply-conductorthercin, and a vehicle with a single support movably connectcd with the vehicle, and two contact devices connected to said support outside of the conduit and movable laterally relative to the support.

10. The cmnbination, in an electric railway, of a conduit, supply-00nductors therein, and a vehicle with a single support or frame, sliding bearings permitting the same to move relatively to the vehicle, and. two contact devices having sliding bearings on the support and in engagen'ient with the supply-conductors.

11. In an electric railway, the combination of a conduit and supply-conductors therein, with a traveling vehicle and a contact device connected thereto, consisting of a supportingframe having guides thereon at a point outside of the conduit, and contact devices movable independently along said guides and extending into the conduit for contact with the conductors.

12. In an electric railway, the combination of a conduit and one or more supply-conductors therein, with a support connected to avehicle, guides on the under surface of said support, and contact devices independently movable in said guides.

.3. The combination of a conduit, an inclosed conductor, and a transverse guide out side the conduit, with a contact-plow mova- IIO bly connected with said guide and consisting of a guard or frame and a single conductor supported by the frame, whereby the plow may be made narrow and thus pass curves Without binding.

let. The combination of a conduit, inclosed conductors, and transverse guides outside the conduit, with two independent contact devices movably connected to the said guides for engagement with the conductors, respectively, whereby the contact devices may be made narrow and pass curves without binding.

15. The combination of a vehicle having transverse guides and supply-conductors of opposite polarity, with an independent contact device for each conductor and laterallysliding connections between the contact devices and the guides, whereby each device has an independent movement.

16. In an electric railway, the combination of the supply-conductors and an electricallypropelled vehicle, with an intermediate current-collector consisting of the single support or frame, sliding bearings permitting movement of the same relative to the vehicle, and the two contact devices in engagement with the supply-conductors, and having transversely-traveling connections with the support or frame.

17. In a current-collector, the combination of the transverse guide carried by a vehicle, with the frame or support engaging said guide, two guides upon the support, and two contact devices engaging said guides.

18. A contact-plow for engagement with the supply-conductor inclosed in a slotted conduit, consisting of the traveler adapted to engage a transverse guide, a narrow frame or guard, and a single conducting-core supported and protected by said guard, whereby the plow is adapted to pass curves without difficulty.

19. The combination of a vehicle and con ductor inclosed in a conduit, with two contact devices having an independent transverse sliding movement, and each consisting of a frame having depending legs, and a single ing for said contact device independent of the head, and relieving the head of strain.

21. In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of a guide extending over the path of movement of a contact device and embracing the same, whereby the engagingsurfaces are protected, with a contact device having a head engaging said guide, and abutting bearing-surfaces upon the guide and 0011- tact device, whereby the head is relieved from strains.

22. The combination of the guide, the contact device engaging therewith, and abutting shoulders between the guide and contact device, with the electrical conductors leading from the contact device at the upper end of the same and by the side of the guide.

23. The combination, in an electric railway, of the two contact devices, and suitable guides and connections allowing the contact devices a limited independent sliding movement, and electrical conductors extending directly from the contact devices and partaking of their movement.

24. In a current-collector for electric railways, the combination of the conducting-strip having an enlarged or broadened bearing, and a contact-shoe connected to said bearing.

25. In a current-collector for electric railroads, the combination of the insulated conducting-strip enlarged or broadened at its lower end, and a contact-shoe pivoted thereto.

26. The combination of the plow extending into a slotted conduit, and a conducting-strip connected to said plow and broadened or enlarged at its lower end, with a contact-shoe attached to said end.

EDWVARD ill. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

JULIEN M. ELLIOT, S. M. OAULDWELL. 

